Budget 2024: Varadkar has promised more than €1,000 for average workers. How will this add up?The Government has pledged to put more than a grand in the pocket of middle-earning workers. It will likely come through a mix of tax changes and spending measuresFri Oct 06 2023 - 13:07
Budget 2024: How to cut through the spin and spot the real changesSmart Money: Can a tax cut not be a tax cut at all? Are once-off payments actually repeat measures?Thu Oct 05 2023 - 12:46
Ireland’s growth has run out of steam: the post-Covid economic bounce is well and truly overCliff Taylor: The ESRI has cut its growth forecasts and believes a widespread slowdown is under wayWed Oct 04 2023 - 06:00
Under-25s are living at home, over-45s are squeezed, and over-55s are at the Rugby World CupThis consumer mood is nervous as we head into the budgetSun Oct 01 2023 - 07:00
Final shape of hybrid office work slowly coming into focusCliff Taylor: Mondays and Fridays are by far the most common days to work from homeThu Sept 28 2023 - 13:13
What is behind the sharp rise in Ireland’s population to almost 5.3m?Two factors are key to driving the population higher, while the latest figures also show evidence of an increase in emigrationMon Sept 25 2023 - 21:16
No point handing a €200 energy credit to someone who wants to buy a luxury EVThe Government is awash with cash. The challenge is to get help to the households that really need itSat Sept 16 2023 - 07:30
ECB interest rate increases are probably overCliff Taylor: However, the European Central Bank has left itself wriggle room in case it needs to raise them once moreThu Sept 14 2023 - 15:39
Budget 2024: Looks like a tax cut of €800 to €850 a year for middle earnersCliff Taylor: Priorities likely to be USC and when taxpayer hits the higher rateThu Sept 14 2023 - 11:33
ECB interest rate: Irish mortgage holders brace for decisionEuropean Central Bank to announce latest interest rates decision todayThu Sept 14 2023 - 05:00
Will the ECB raise rates on Thursday or won’t it?Unusually, there has been no clear signal from the ECB’s governing council on its intentionsWed Sept 13 2023 - 12:33
Is the era of runaway corporate tax receipts really over?Michael McGrath warns Government will need to be cautious when framing Budget 2024Tue Sept 12 2023 - 17:55
Significant shake-up in corporation tax system to be announced by McGrathIntroduction of 15% tax rate on firms with turnover in excess of €750m and more straightforward rulesSat Sept 09 2023 - 06:00
A branch just fell off Ireland’s magic money tree. Should we be worried?It’s a reminder of the risk that comes with relying on three or four big companies for huge amounts of taxSat Sept 09 2023 - 06:00
Is Ireland’s corporation tax party over?Smart Money: We have seen huge jumps in business tax returns since 2015, but what happens next is not entirely clearThu Sept 07 2023 - 11:55
Budget 2024: €1bn drop in August’s corporation tax receipts triggers revenue volatility fears ESRI finds incomes for poorest 10% fell in real terms between 2020 and 2021 and stalled for other two-fifths of bottom half of its table, reversing decade of growth for lower and middle-income earnersTue Sept 05 2023 - 08:13
Fall in corporation tax in August hits exchequer figures Drop raises fears about volatility of this key source of revenueMon Sept 04 2023 - 16:30
Lives put on hold: Who are Ireland’s stay-at-home generation?The half a million adults living with their parents need new ways of living, smaller homes and less garden spaceSat Sept 02 2023 - 06:30
Labour shortages are biting across the economy. What does this mean for you as an employee?Cliff Taylor: Interest rates and prices rising have yet to halt the employment gallop as employers still experiencing labour shortagesThu Aug 31 2023 - 12:17
Ironman’s business model: A $730m company that targets high-earning triathletes Cliff Taylor: Competitors become customers - a typical triathlon entrant in the US is a homeowner and graduate earning at least $200,000Sun Aug 27 2023 - 06:00
Where can you expect interest rates to go over the longer term?Smart Money: Borrowers can benefit from an eye to monetary policy trends when planning their financesThu Aug 24 2023 - 12:14
Cliff Taylor: Understanding the two sums of money that tell the story of Tubridy’s downfallThe presenter went for a win when he should have accepted a one-all drawSat Aug 19 2023 - 06:00
Why are there so few second-hand properties to buy in Ireland?The stock of properties for sale is falling, with housing in lower price categories in particularly short supplyThu Aug 17 2023 - 12:14
Cliff Taylor: Sinn Féin isn’t in government, but it is setting the economic agendaThe main Opposition party, already influencing policy, faces big choices in the months aheadFri Aug 11 2023 - 14:48
Is Ireland about to get into a big corporate tax row with the US?Smart Money: Implementing an OECD plan for the future of international business taxes is proving more than complicatedThu Aug 10 2023 - 12:01
Cliff Taylor: Is the Irish tech sector really facing a crisis?If the sector treads water for a while, there will be some economic pain, but fears of a collapse are overstatedSat Aug 05 2023 - 06:30
Taylor Swift, Coldplay and the spread of superstar economics Top artists now dominate the music industry more than ever. The same is true for economies.Thu Aug 03 2023 - 12:15
Cliff Taylor: The slow squeeze which has locked younger people out of the Irish housing marketThe latest census figures underline the gradual build-up of the Irish housing crisis over recent years - the fix has to be a long-term oneSat Jul 29 2023 - 06:00
Who is most at risk with mortgage rates on the rise again?As the ECB prepares to hike interest rates once more, certain types of borrowers are most affected - and others will be hit in the months to comeWed Jul 26 2023 - 12:30
It takes 10 years to build a road in Ireland, 20 for a rail line, 30 for a MetroLink. What are we doing wrong?Cliff Taylor: Why do big infrastructure projects always take so long in Ireland?Sat Jul 22 2023 - 06:00
Younger people lose out in generation game of Irish housing marketCliff Taylor: The good, the bad and the ugly of the Irish market are shown in a new ESRI report, comparing the experience here with other European countriesThu Jul 20 2023 - 13:44
Key pre-budget papers notable for what’s left out as much as what is includedTax Strategy Group appears to have killed 30% income tax rate idea for now, while climate-change response more in focusWed Jul 19 2023 - 05:00
Why is a large increase in the minimum wage being recommended?Move would increase the weekly earnings of someone on minimum wage who is working 39 hours a week by just under €55 from next JanuaryTue Jul 18 2023 - 19:00
12% minimum wage increase recommended for 2024The Low Pay Commission’s proposal would give someone working 39 hours an additional €54.60 a weekTue Jul 18 2023 - 05:00
Ireland’s spare billions have sent budget expectations sky-high. There’s a risk no one ends up happyCliff Taylor: As the budget battle intensifies, the public will be told that finances are in splendid shapeSun Jul 16 2023 - 06:00
Ireland is in a technical recession yet faces warnings on overheating. So what is going on?As Budget 2024 approaches, the Government is navigating a difficult policy pathThu Jul 13 2023 - 10:43
What we learned about the €120,000 understatement of Ryan Tubridy’s earnings from committeeRTÉ ‘set off’ unpaid bonus money when the figures were published in the list of high earnersTue Jul 11 2023 - 19:00
Cliff Taylor: The Government must protect the vital role of RTÉThe complete split between the board and executive and the damage to the brand point to trouble ahead. Ordinary employees of RTÉ and the concept of public sector broadcasting need to be protectedSat Jul 08 2023 - 06:30
Stability bonus: Republic benefits from stable public finances while UK hits troubleSmart Money: Lenders charging a premium for UK borrowing amid budget deficits, rising interest rates and political volatilityThu Jul 06 2023 - 13:56
Cliff Taylor: RTÉ’s Bosco accounting involves trip beyond Magic DoorThe next focus will be the basis on which the broadcaster decided to write down Turbridy’s earnings between 2017 and 2019 by €120,000Sat Jul 01 2023 - 06:45
Can we compare Irish living standards with those in the UK and EU?Smart Money: Different ways of measuring financial wellbeing across different timeframes mean comparing like with like is anything but straightforwardThu Jun 29 2023 - 11:29
Nexus of big firms, advisers and the IDA wields huge power over Irish policyReliance on a handful of firms has inverted Ireland’s traditional relationship between government and industry. Sinn Féin in power would have to maintain that dynamicSun Jun 11 2023 - 05:00
Cliff Taylor: When is a budget tax cut not really a tax cut at all? Governments love to say they’re reducing the tax burden, but often they’re just dealing with the impact of inflationThu Jun 08 2023 - 11:36
Inflation is going to fall faster than you thinkHousehold energy bills remain high but once they start to fall, they will fall fastSun Jun 04 2023 - 05:15
How to buy your first home in Ireland: The three hurdles to overcomeDespite the challenges, many succeed. More than 14,000 mortgages were drawn down in the second half of last yearSat Jun 03 2023 - 06:00
Want to work remotely from overseas for a few months? Here’s why it is not so easyCliff Taylor: There are legal and tax complications for both employer and employee.Thu Jun 01 2023 - 12:51
Cliff Taylor: This is why the Fine Gael tax plan has started such a rowMove is aimed squarely at the top 25%. Fianna Fáil may look to spread the gains a bit more widelySun May 28 2023 - 06:00
Fine Gael throwing a €1,000 tax cut into the mix started a row ... but it may not be far off what happensSmart Money: Indexing for inflation and preparing ground ahead of a General Election means €1,000 tax package figure per middle income earner might not be too far fetchedThu May 25 2023 - 12:16
Better future for the young should be priority for surplus, not lining pockets of well-off older votersA better future for younger people must be the priority, not lining pockets of better-off older votersSun May 21 2023 - 05:00
Cliff Taylor: Are Irish house prices set to fall further, in common with many European markets?Property prices have been falling over the last three months, but some parts of the market are performing very differently from others, making predictions trickyThu May 18 2023 - 11:36
